Shoemaking apparatus



NOV. 25),y 1941. L. s 4 CUR-[1N I SHOEMAKING APPARATUS Filed June 29, 1940 @WAM Patented Nov. 25, 1941 sHoEMAKING APPARATUS Leonard S. Curtin, Belmont, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 29, 1940, Se1ial No. 343,224

7 Claims.

This invention relates to shoemaking apparatus and is herein illustrated and described as embodied in a device to assist in assembling the plug and vamp of a moccasin or a shoe having a moccasin type toe. As used herein, the word plug" is intended to mean that part of the upper which covers the top of the forepart of the foot, and the word vamp is intended to include that portion of theupper which forms the side walls of the shoe. Y

In manufacturing shoes of the type above referred to, it is the customary procedure to cut out a plug and a vamp of the proper shape and then to bevel the edges that are to be joined so that, when cemented together, the two parts will form a mitered joint. Permanent fastening is effected by a seam of stitches extending through the two parts adjacent the mitered joint. The bringing together of the edges of the plug and the vamp prior to stitching is usually a hand operation, and it is `rendered difficult because it is necessary for the operator to hold both the vamp and the plug in his hands. It is an object of the present invention to simplify the operation of assembling the plug and vamp, and thereby to reduce the cost of this operation. Accordingly, the invention provides a plate on which the moccasin plug may be placed and a holddown movable toward the plate to clamp the moccasin plug against the plate. The holddown is expansible laterally in order to accommodate various sizes of plugs, it being desirable to maintain an approximately constant distance between the edge of the holddown and the edge of the plug regardless of the size plug being clamped.

The invention will be better understood when considered with relation to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying the features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of the under side of the plate; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view, showing the device belng employed to hold a moccasin plug while 1t 1s being assembled with a vamp.

Referring now to Fig. 1, there is provided a bench type base III to the upper end of which an arm I4 is clamped at I 2. The arm I4 extends laterally outward from the base and, toward its outer end, is curved upwardly to some extent. To the upper side of this arm, there is secured a plate I6, (Fig. 2), which is slightly concave and approximately-the same shape as a moccasin plug but is substantially smaller than the smallest size plug which is to be handled 1n the machme.

Adjacent to the upper end of the base II'I a bracket I8 surrounds the arm I4, and at I9 in this bracket is pivoted a lever 20 which is urged toward the arm I4 by a grasshopper spring 22 engaged between lever 20 and pins 24 in the bracket I8.

In order to hold a plug in proper position on the plate I6, the end of the lever 2i! has secured to it a member 26 upon which is fastened a plate 28. The forward end of this plate provides a support for a rivet 30 about which are pivoted two wing members A32. It may be noted here that for reasons later to be explained, the Ledges of these wing members are curved upwardly so that their under surfaces are convex. Dogs 3'4 secured to the wing. members 32 and extending over the rear edge of the plate 28 provide additional support for the wing members in their movementabout the heightwise axis provided by the rivet 3D. A treadle rod 36 pivoted at the end of the lever 29 provides means for moving the wing members 32 and the plate 28 which comprise the holddown toward and away lfrom the lower-plate I5.

It is desirable that the wing members should be readily movable toward and away from the lever 20 to accommodate various sizes of plugs. To this end, a forked thumb lever 38 extends downwardly over the lever 20 and is pivoted thereon at 4Il. The lower end of the lever 38 is pivotally connected by a link 42 to a slide 44 movable longitudinally of the lever 2l). This slide is secured to the lever by a bolt 46 whichpasses through a slot 48 in the lever and thus permits the slide f to be moved lengthwise of the lever. At its for? ward end, the slide is provided with two ears 50 which extend laterally on either side of the lever 29. These ears are provided with diagonal slots 52 in which pins 54 secured to the wing members 32 are slidable. By this arrangement, when the upper end of the thumb lever 38 is moved rearwardly, the slide 44 is forced forward so that the rear sides of the slots bear against the pins 54. The came action thus produced swings the wing members inwardly toward one another to the position shown in Fig. 3. Movement of the thumb lever 38 in the opposite direction separates the wing members so that they wil have sun'cient spread to correspond to larger sizes.

In operating this device, the operator depresses a treadle (not shown) connected to the treadle rod 36 thereby to separate the holddown unit and the lower plate I 6. A moccasin plug P is inserted in the space between the two clamping members with the grain surface of the plug uppermost and the toe end of the plug about oneeighth inch away from the toe end of the holddown. The thumb lever 38 is then moved forwardly or rearwardly to adjust the wing members 32 to a position such that the distance between the 'edge of the wing members and the edge of the plug is as nearly uniform as possible and preferably about one-eighth inch. The treadle is then released clamping the plug firmly between the holddown and the concave lower plate IB. A vamp V, to the beveled edge of which cement has previously been applied, is positioned slightly below the plug and after it has been properly alined therewith, the operators fingers press the two beveled edges together. It will be noted that it is only necessary to apply upward pressure on the vamp, inasmuch as the plug is supported adjacent its entire periphery by the wing members 32. By thus pressing the vamp upwardly, the plug is pressed against the convexly curved margin of the wing members, and the plug and vamp are cemented together in this position. Thus when the cementing operation has been completed, the plug on its upper or grain surface will be concave, it having b'een found that such a condition simplifies the stitching of the plug seam. With the plug in this condition, the treadle is again depressed and the assembled plug and vamp are removed and presented to a machine for stitching the plug and vamp together.

By the provision of this device, the assembling of the vamp and plug is greatly simplied. The plug is held rmly in a suitable position for the vamp to be pressed against it and both of the operators hands are free to locate the vamp in proper position relative to the plug and to press the beveled edges of the two parts together.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Shoemaking apparatus comprising a base, a plate mounted on said base and constructed and arranged to support a moccasin plug, a laterally expansible holddown mounted for movement toward said plate to clamp a moccasin plug thereagainst, and means for controlling the expansion of said holddown.

2. Shoemaking apparatus comprising a base, a plate mounted on said base and constructed and arranged to support a moccasin plug, a laterally Iexpansible holddown yieldably urged toward said plate, means for controlling the expansion of said holddown, and means for moving said holddown away from said plate.

3. Shoemaking apparatus comprising a base, a plate mounted on said base and constructed and arranged to support a moccasin plug, and a laterally expansible holddown movable toward said plate to clamp a moccasin plug thereagainst, said holddown comprising a supporting member and wing pieces carried by said member, said wing pieces being movable toward and away from each other thereby to correspond to plugs of different sizes.

4. Shoemaking apparatus comprising a base, a plate mounted on said base and constructed and arranged to support a moccasin plug, a laterally extensible holddown movable toward said plate to clamp a moccasin plug thereagainst, said holddown comprising a supporting member and movable wing pieces carried thereby, and means for simultaneously moving said wing pieces toward and away from each other thereby to make said holddown correspond to plugs of different sizes.

5. Shoemaking apparatus comprising a base, a plate mounted on said base and constructed and arranged to support a moccasin plug, a laterally expansible holddown movable toward said plate to clamp a moccasin plug thereagainst, said holddown comprising a plate and wing members pivoted in said plate about a heightwise axis adjacent to the toe end of said plate, and means for moving said wing members toward and away from one another.

6. Shoemaking apparatus comprising a base, a plate mounted on said base and constructed and arranged to support a moccasin plug, and a holddown mounted for movement toward said plate thereby to clamp a moccasin plug between the plate and the holddown, said -holddown being curved away from said plate around substantially the entire periphery thereof to provide a convex surface against which the margin of th'e plug may be pressed.

'7. Shoemaking apparatus comprising a base, a plate mounted on said base and constructed and arranged to support a moccasin plug, and a holddown movable toward said plate to clamp a moccasin plug between said plate and said holddown` said plate being substantially smaller in area than said holddown.

LEONARD S. CURTIN. 

